Pavement



(No Model.)

8 L. J. GADWELL.

PAVEMENT 180.398,93). Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

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LYDIA J. CADVELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming parti'of Letters Patent No.' 398,939, dated March 5, 1889.

Application filed January 13, 1888.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that- I, LYDIA J. CADWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pavements', and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

' clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Theinvention consists, primarily, in a pavement composed of T-shaped blocks of iron, burned clay, or other suitable material laid in alternately-reversed positions, so that they overlap each other, whereby each block has a bottom support from the underlying bed greatly in excess of its upper area or surface, F and whereby, as a consequence, the bed or foundation is in the greatest degree att-ainable uninjured by the use of the pavement.

It consists, secondarily, in forming the block hollow, and, thirdly, in a hollow block filled with suitable material to deaden the sound.

In the accompanying drawii'igs, Figure l shows in perspective one of the blocks of which my improved pavement is composed, Fig. 2 is a perspective of a pavementin transverse section of a street between rows of the paving-blocks.

The individual blocks A are T-shaped in side view, and prefcrabl y twice as long as they are broad, and, say, four or five inches in depth. Each block has two bearing-surfaces, a and a', which may be provided with grooves o2 of any suitable form or depth, and with or without beveled edges a3 at the margins of the bearing-surfaces a and a', for the purpose of giving foothold to horses traveling on the pavement. The arms a* of the T are preferably tapered toward their ends by an inclination of the surfaces a5, such inclination, however, if present, being so slight, as shown, that it gives practically no effect of a wedge. The blocks are laid end to end in alternatelyreversed order, with these arms overlapping` each other, as shown in Fig. 2. 'lhus laid it is manifest that the upper surface of any member of the pavement to which pressure 1s applied is very greatly less than the surface Serial No. 260.607. (No specimens.)

of the foundation, which iiuall y receives such pressure. For example, if pressure is applied to the upper surface, ci, of a block, A, the same area of the foundation which takes such pressure is equal to the greatly larger oppo site surface, a', of the same block, and in the case of these blocks having' the larger surface, a', uppermost the pressure received by the block is distributed over an area of the l foundation equal to the lower surface, a., of the block plus the greater part of the lower i surfaces, a', of the two contiguous blocks f which it overlaps. This distribution of pressure over relatively large areas of the bed or foundation is the primary object of my invention, and the great advantage of such distribution is to obviate injury to the bed.

By the preservation of the bed the pavement retains its original contour or level, and by the maintenance of such contour more equal wear is suffered by t-he various members of the pavement, and as a result the pavement is far more durable both as a whole and as to its individual members, while at the for the passage of loads and of light vehicles is secured.

As shown in the drawings, the blocks A are made hollow, with upper and lower walls embracing recesses thcrein, which is a construction proposed when the blocks are of cast-iron, burned clay, or of other formable material, for the purposes of lightness and cheapness. In making the block of this hollow construction I propose one or more vertical posts or partitions, a, which in the block shown are arranged transversely to the block and divide the interior space into two recesses or passages. lVhile this is a favorable arrangement of a strut partition or support other arrangements thereof maybe made within my invention, and more than one such interior support may be provided, if desired, in any suitable arrangement thereof. I also propose, as a separate improvement, to make the block hollow, with lateral openings or embraced between upper and lower walls, and to lill the space or spaces within it with tar and sand, asphalt, or other material or compound of materials suitable to deaden the sound of the pavement. As shown in the block at. the

same time the advantage of a regular surface IOO other hard material made hollow, having recesses between upper and lowerbearing-Walls of the block, and provided with a filling of Vot-herinaterizil suit-able to dcaden sound, sub! Simitially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix. my Signntn re in presence ot' two witnesses.

LYDIA J. CADlVllLL.

Wi tnesses j M. E. DAYTON,

l. H. T. MASON. 

